ODEBOLT OBSERVER,
August 4, 1880, Volume I, No. 6

Local Matters

_You may shoot prairie chickens after the 15 inst. [Presumably, this means after the 15th of August.]
_Mr. Whitman Supt. and Mr. Walden Master Mechanic, passed through here on Friday’s train.  Mr. W. informs us that it is the intention of the company to build a good depot at this place this fall.
_For sale.  A few good horses.    H. C. Wheeler
_Wilson & Caswell are now located on Main street next door to McKeever’s harness shop, where they are prepared to furnish the trade with all kinds of standard sewing machines and organs.  They keep on hand machine needles and repairs of all kinds, also sheet music.  Give them a call.
_WANTED – a few bushels of oats on subscription for this  paper.

  Job Press
_Our job press, so long expected, has arrived.  We are now ready to do as fine job work as can be done in the county and at low prices.  We have a good assortment of job stationary [sic] and we invite our friends to call and ascertain prices and examine our supplies.

ODEBOLT OBSERVER, 
August 11, 1880, Volume I, No. 7

_Messrs. Horan and Robinson [sic] are building quite an addition to their livery stable.
H. I. Wilson has the contract of furnishing two new school houses in Clinton township with furniture.
Robertson & Horan’s livery barn is now nearly complete.  When finished it will be one of the best in town.
The contract for building the new school house was awarded to Mr. Sewell of Denison, whose bid was the lowest one received.  It is to be ready for occupancy by Oct. 25th next.

Grant City.

Friday morning, in company with Mr. F. A. Ross, we rode over to Grant City. We saw nothing unusual on the way. The farmers were all busy stacking grain and cutting flax. Arrived at Grant, we confess we were agreeably disappointed in the appearance of the town. We expected to find an old dilapidated village, with the streets grown up in weeds, but this is not so. It has the appearance of a much newer town than it is. The buildings present a good appearance, there being not less than eight brick buildings, some of them very good ones. This, for an inland town, does a good business, and if fact, we know of railroad towns that do not do as much in the way of merchantile [sic] trade.

The business men are wide awake and are having a good run of trade.

Mr. W. Impson, the blacksmith, informed us that when he came to this county, Sac and Calhoun counties had but one family each. Mr. Impson is doing a good business and will give employment to a No. 1 smith.

Mr. Weirick, the wagon and carriage maker, is said to be a fine workman in wood.

G. W. D'Ment has a neat and well-arranged drug store and has a good trade.

The Grant City Mill is owned and operated by Deemer & Birt. This mill has the reputation of doing a good business and giving satisfaction.

We called in at the store of Parker & Gray, but neither of the proprietors were in. They have a well stocked general store, and from appearances they are doing a thriving business.

There is another general store in the place, but we forget the names of the proprietors. We were well pleased with the town and the business men. Perhaps one reason why we were so favorably impressed with the business men, was we were very successful in getting subscribers for the OBSERVER. Notwithstanding this is a stronghold of Greenbackism they consider the OBSERVER worthy their support.

Late in the afternoon we turned our faces towards the setting sun and in three hours drive Mr. Ross' ponies landed us safely at home.

Owners vs. Sportsmen.

Several farmers in this vicinity complain that hunters already begin to trespass upon their premises with dog and gun. Sportsmen should wait until the 15th inst., when the law gives them the right to shoot prairie chickens. It seems, however, to be a mooted question whether sportsmen even after that time have the right to shoot upon premises against the owner's consent. The game law plainly prohibits it, and declares the act a trespass; but we understand sportsmen claim that a Supreme Court decision gives them the right to hunt over any man's premises, and decides that an action against them for trespass will not lie, if no other damage is sustained by the owner except the mere hunting over his premises.

  __We have been shown a bundle of flax grown this season on the farm of Mr. Parker near this place, which measures 44 inches in length and straight as an arrow.
__42 bushels of wheat to the acre – how is that for high?
__Mr. North furnished us the oats asked for.  Come on Brother Dickey.  [Mr. Dickey was the editor of the Sac City Sun.]
__A divorce case threatens to rack or wreck the social fabric of Viola township.  We are not at liberty to mention names, but the affair has already brought out the usual number of astonished exclamations in the neighborhood, such as, “Oh my” “Did you ever!” “Gee-whillicun!” and some old parrot gabbles, “I told you so!”

 ODEBOLT OBSERVER, 
August 18, 1880, Volume I, No. 8

__If Main street is to be used for a race track to speed horses upon, why don’t the authorities have the town pump removed.  It is in the way.
__The school board has selected Mr. C. Messer as teacher of the high school at $50 a month, and Miss Emma Kernell as teacher of the intermediate department at $30.  The schools will commence about Sept. 1st.
__The work on the new steam elevator is progressing rapidly.  There are eleven carpenters and two stone masons, triple the usual number of tenders.  Mr. Thompson, of Peoria, Illinois, and Mr. Graham, of this place, are foremen.
__The School Board, at its meeting on last Wednesday evening, transacted the following business:  Approved the bonds of H. T. Martin and S. A. Sewell; the time for the completion of the school house was extended to Nov. 15th, and contract entered into with Mr. Sewell to this effect.
__Services in the Catholic church the last Sabbath in each month.
__Mr. J. Squires, Bible agent for the State of Iowa, will lecture this Wednesday evening, in the school house.  Let everybody come out.
__Mr. F. C. Coy will lecture on temperance this (Wednesday) evening at Masonic Hall, also Thursday evening.  Lectures free.  Come out and hear him.
__Mat M. Gray of Ida has commenced action against Hotchkiss of Illinois, claiming $3,000 for slander.  The Era says he is curious to know how it would be possible to slander a lawyer.  “Better you not come to Odebolt,” except in the absence of our lawyers.
__And now comes Mr. Will Kelly and “flaxes that flax” we spoke of last week, by producing a bundle that measures 47½ inches from root to berry.  He also invites us to contemplate a cornstalk which measures eleven feet two inches in length.  Will somebody please to flax his flax and stalk over his cornstalk?
__Mr. Aupperly has started a meat market with Mr. P. Eyeleshimer as clerk.
__C. J. still pines in bachelorian solitude.  Next time he goes to Ames he aims to fix it.
__Evvie Martin commences a two months school Monday, August 30th in the Center school house, near Mr. George Halboth’s.
__Mr. C. B. Atkins, the new station agent, handles the station affairs like an old hand at the business.  Mr. Jacob Gable is retained as telegraph operator.  We have promised Jake a better job, when we [Mr. Martin] get to be supt. of the road running north of this place.

Too Late.
Our correspondents will please remember that their communications must not reach us later than Tuesday morning.  This week’s correspondence was received too late for publication.  Please send earlier.  Our readers appreciate your efforts.

ODEBOLT OBSERVER
August 25, 1880, Volume I, No. 9

__Look out!  There are lightning rod men about.
__Work will commence on the new school house in a few days.
__Mr. Stanfield, the president of the board, informs us that our town schools will commence next Monday, Aug. 30th.  The high school will be in Masonic Hall and the primary department in the school house.
__A fellow townsman is our authority for saying that Esq. Zane is about to marry, and bases his opinion on the fact that the attorney has actually just purchased a bran [sic] new double-reacting self-protecting, 8 ball lightning rod for his house.
__C. J. did not go to Ames last week as he had intended, being called professionally in another direction – so the congratulations were a little premature.  But it shows how uncertain of accomplishment human aims sometimes are.
__We understand that Messrs. Calmer & Smith propose to open up their beer saloon September 1st notwithstanding the refusal of the Council to grant them license.  They will tender the amount of the license to the authorities, and if prosecuted, will test the legal right of the council to refuse to grant the license.
__When a business man in the eastern part of the state finds himself overworked and in need of rest, he comes west to hunt prairie chickens.  It is astonishing how many Eastern Iowa men, at this season of the year, who find themselves “worn out”, can carry a 20 lb. gun at the heels of a 10 lb. dog all day long without limping.
__L. Francisco threshed 786 bushels of flax seed off of 44 acres, and sold the same for $707.40, realizing over $16.00 per acre.  Does farming in Sac county pay?
__Frank Corey is in Des Moines purchasing a stock of groceries for this market.  He says he will not be undersold by any man in the business.  Call and see him, in the Keck building, on Main street.
__Wm. Cody, the distinguished “Buffalo Bill,” passed through Denison Monday evening of last week, enroute to Chicago.  Mr. Cody is a large, fine appearing gentleman who has a faculty of getting very drunk when so disposed.  He is very wealthy, owning one of the largest cattle ranches in the west.  He recently shipped 17 cars of cattle to Chicago in a body.  “Bill” is good humored, and says he has money enough to stuff a wild cat.  - Denison Bulletin

ODEBOLT OBSERVER
September 1, 1880, Volume I, No. 10

New Presbyterian Church.
We learn that the Presbyterian Society have decided to build a church this season, to cost $2,000 – about $1,700 being already subscribed for the purpose.

New Boot and Shoe Shop
Mr. Cobb, late of Glidden, has opened a shop at Bodocker’s harness shop, where [he] is prepared to do all work in his line, either sewed or pegged, and guarantees satisfaction.

__District court meets next Tuesday.
__Calmer & Schmidt [Smith in an earlier reference] open up their saloon tomorrow.
__Chas. E. George and West Ling are painting the new Warneke building.
__C. W. Pitsor commences this morning with his force on the foundation of the new school house.

(Researched and submitted by B. Ekse)

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